


Seasalt

by Gummysaur



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Bad Times in Koholint, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), i haven't actually played links awakening im sorry, it's legend angst babey!, sickfic? i guess? in a magical sense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-27 21:12:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19797856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gummysaur/pseuds/Gummysaur
Summary: Legend gets hit by a mysterious magical attack that, at first, appears to do nothing at all. He insists that he feels just fine, so the group moves on.That is, until he starts acting...strange.(Linked Universe AU was made by jojo56830 on tumblr!)





	Seasalt

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I'm a huge fan of this AU, and even though I haven't played Link's Awakening yet (waiting for the remake lol) I did some research and decided to join in on the angst. Legend's my favorite so of course I'd put him through hell.
> 
> I'm open to constructive criticism--please let me know if anything doesn't make sense. Without further ado, please enjoy the story! ^^

Wild knew that the other Links didn’t particularly love his Hyrule. It wasn’t bustling with life like Time’s, or peaceful and warm like Four’s. It was huge and barren and covered in the rotting husks of Guardians. And it rained frequently enough that they had taken to joking about it and placing bets on how long they would be able to enjoy the clear weather. Wild pretended not to notice the sighs of relief when they shifted into a different Hyrule.

Sometimes it hurt. This _was_ his home, after all. Sometimes it made sense, even if he disagreed. The still-visible destruction, even a hundred years after the Calamity, was unnerving.

Some rare times, though. He really just had to agree with them.

“Are those _Wizzrobes?”_ Hyrule hissed, stopping in his tracks. Wild’s heart fell as he followed the young hero’s gaze and confirmed that there were indeed Wizzrobes blocking their intended path.

Legend cursed. Time frowned.

“You’ll have to debrief us on how your Wizzrobes work,” Time said, keeping his voice low so as to not alert the monsters. “I’ve only ever seen them in temples as formidable opponents. I’ve never seen them group up.”

Wild shook his head. “The ones here are almost always in groups. They move around and notice you quickly, so it’s hard to just shoot them from afar. If they see where you’re shooting from, they can teleport right behind you. But you can’t get too close. They’ve got some nasty magic.” He shuddered at the memory of trying to climb a tower while being shot at from all sides. “These ones don’t seem to be the electrical kind, lucky for us.”

“Lucky for us, sure,” Legend muttered.

“They fall to the ground and are pretty vulnerable if you do manage to get in a shot with an arrow, though,” Wild added.

Time gave a nod, then covered the lower half of his face with his hand in what was now recognizable to the group as the _I’m trying to form a plan_ look. They quietly waited for him, some thinking of plans of their own.

“Twilight, Wild, and I will try to shoot them from afar,” he eventually began. “I believe we can all hit moving targets. Anyone else confident in their archery?”

Sky squinted at the Wizzrobes. “I can try, if we need it.”

Time nodded. “Plan is to hit them, then have the rest of you attack as they’re down.”

The heroes moved out to carry out the orders. Wild focused, managing to shoot one only a few seconds after the others had assumed their positions. A slew of arrows followed, and to Wild’s surprise all five of the dancing beasts fell down. Five heroes jumped out to attack.

 _But there’s only four archers,_ Wild thought in confusion. Then he remembered—Wizzrobes were smart ones, for monsters. They were capable of diversion and trickery. They most certainly could play dead.

“ _Wait!”_ he shouted, but it was too late—the Wizzrobe assigned to Legend flipped over, noticeably unharmed, and aimed its staff point-blank at his chest. Before anyone could react, there was a blinding flash of light.

Legend shouted in pain, falling to his knees as the blue blaze of magic hit him dead on. Wild heard Wind gasp in horror, saw Time’s single eye widen. Without thinking he jumped into the clearing, racing over to the most seasoned hero’s side. Several others met him there.

“Are you okay?” Wild asked, kneeling down to look into Legend’s eyes, searching for any fogginess or shock.

Instead he was met with a clear, if slightly nonplussed, gaze. “I…yeah, actually.” Legend glanced up at the snickering Wizzrobe. “It looked like ice magic, but…I don’t feel cold at all.”

Wild gritted his teeth. He wanted to check and be absolutely sure he was okay, but they couldn’t afford to dawdle. The stunned Wizzrobes were beginning to try and rise again, forcing the heroes to retreat.

“Can you run?” Wild demanded.

“I’m fine, let’s go,” Legend panted, forcing himself off the ground and towards the bushes.

Before they made it, however, a Wizzrobe raised its wand, encasing all nine men in an arena of fire.

“Fantastic,” Warriors growled, unsheathing his blade.

Wild whirled around, pulling out his sword as well. “They’re weakened, we’ve got this!”

* * *

It only took a few more minutes to end the fight. With a flash of steel, Warriors finished off the last floating, robed beast, which let out an unearthly shriek. Before its body even hit the ground, the scarf-clad hero was turning to face Legend, as was Time.

“Okay, now let’s find out what that guy did,” Warriors said gruffly. Legend sighed.

“I feel just fine. I think it was just a failed attack, or maybe just a diversion,” he explained.

Time shook his head. “It was cackling like a madman after it hit you. I’ve never seen a monster so happy that it missed. I think it’s just yet to take effect.”

Legend’s face twisted before he quickly masked it with his usual flippant expression. “I’ve never heard of a Wizzrobe doing anything like that.”

“Me neither.” Time put his chin in his hand, glancing away. “That blue color reminds me of certain curses. But only the kind that makes you unable to draw your sword, and you were perfectly able to do that.”

The rest of the heroes walked over, intrigued by the conversation. Wind’s face, as usual, was an open book; he looked quite alarmed.

Legend caught a glance at his face, and gave a carefree smirk. “Don’t look so nervous. I swear, I feel totally fine.”

“I think you should take a healing potion,” Hyrule started cautiously. “Just in case.”

Legend waved a hand. “What about when we really need one? We’re already low enough on them as it is.” He looked around at the group, voice becoming serious. “I know it’s weird for an attack to do nothing. But those things _live_ on being annoying little tricksters. I wouldn’t put it past them to do something like that just to distract the rest of you.”

“There’s not much to do but continue on,” Twilight put in. He turned, giving Legend a icy stare. “If you feel even a _little_ off, you are to tell us. Understood?”

Legend couldn’t help but bark out a laugh at the attempt at authority in his voice. If Time wasn’t standing right there, he’d tease Twilight for trying to emulate the old man. He gave a lazy salute. “Yes _sir.”_

* * *

The scent of deer meat and vegetables rose in the air as Wild stirred together that night’s dinner. Four was watching him appreciatively, sharpening a blade.

“Looks fantastic,” he commented. “Thank you for cooking dinner tonight.”

“It’s no problem. Thank Sky for getting the veggies for me.”

Four smiled. “Sure thing.”

They sat in companionable quiet for a few more minutes, before Wild put down his spoon with a contented smile. “I’d say we’re done here. Want to get everyone?”

“Leave it to me.” Four stood up, dusted off his tunic, and cupped his hands around his mouth. “ _Hey everyone, dinner’s ready!”_

In less than a minute, six hungry heroes were gathered around the fire. Wild laughed at their eagerness. It took no time at all for each man (and boy) to have a full bowl of food.

They all took their usual spots around the fire, when Hyrule suddenly glanced up with a frown.

“Where’s Legend?” he asked curiously.

The other heroes looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Twilight cursed.

“I’m sure everything’s fine,” Time said immediately. His tone was brisk, but he peered into the forest with his eye narrowed, features drawn. “He may have not heard.”

“I’ll go get him,” Wild volunteered, standing up before anyone could protest. He headed out into the dark woods, hand on his slate to provide light.

He expected to have to head out to the clearing nearby, or to follow the sound of music to where Legend liked to play his ocarina. He nearly tripped over himself in surprise when he found Legend not far outside camp, sitting at the base of a tree. He was staring out into the sky, knees drawn up to his chin, arms wrapped around his legs.

“Legend!” Wild said, heart pounding from the small shock. “Didn’t you hear Four call out dinner?”

Legend’s head turned, but it was too dark for Wild to make out his features. “Huh? Oh, no, I didn’t. Sorry.”

“It’s no problem,” Wild said cautiously, taking a step forward. “Come on, everyone’s waiting.”

“Yeah…” Legend made no visible effort to get up. “I might skip dinner tonight. I don’t…”

As he spoke, Wild walked forwards and offered his hand to help the other hero up. Legend didn’t even look up as he grasped it faintly. Wild pulled him up, and Legend stumbled forward, into the range of the Sheikah Slate’s light.

A faint gasp left Wild’s throat. Legend was pale and visibly shivering, a glazed, far-off look in his eyes. His hand, shaking, nearly-white, twitched forward and grasped onto Wild’s shoulder.

“I don’t…actually feel so well,” was the only warning Wild got before Legend pitched forward into a dead faint.

“ _Legend!”_ Wild caught him, stumbling under the sudden weight. “ _Guys! Help!”_

* * *

Dinner was abandoned as every hero came rushing to his aid, with varying looks of horror as they saw Wild struggling to lower Legend gently to the ground.

“Oh, Hylia,” Wind whispered, hanging at the back of the group.

“The _hell?”_ Twilight ran forward, kneeling down at Legend’s side. “What happened?”

Wild gave a quick explanation, hand fumbling for his friend’s pulse. “His heartbeat’s really weak. We need to get him to camp.”

Time and Warriors also came forward to pick him up, and as they carried him back Wild could hear Twilight muttering under his breath, over and over, “I _told_ that idiot to tell us if he felt anything, I _told_ him…”

When they arrived back to camp, the heroes helped to lower Legend down onto his bedroll, and then immediately crowded around to see what could be done.

“Guys!” Hyrule piped up, his usually-soft voice suddenly commanding. “I need to see what’s going on.”

The small crowd parted to make way for the unofficial team medic. Hyrule placed a hand on Legend’s forehead, took a pulse like Wild had done, and laid a hand on his chest to feel his breathing, all with a taut, concentrated look on his face.

“…What’s it looking like?” Sky ventured after a tense silence.

“He’s running a high fever,” Hyrule immediately began. “He seems dehydrated too. Breathing’s not great, either. We need cold compresses—“

Immediately, Four unwrapped his headband and headed out to the nearest river.

“—and, well. We’ve all gotten sick on our journeys before, right? What helps?”

There was an awkward silence.

“…Soup,” Wild finally put in.

“Soup,” Wind agreed.

“We could use some of those cold mushrooms Wild carries,” Time replied, more helpfully.

“Good idea.” Hyrule nodded towards Wild, who already had his slate in hand. After a couple of taps, he held a large, ice-blue mushroom in his hand.

“…Now what,” he said nervously.

Hyrule took it and observed it appreciatively. “What does eating it do?”

Wild opened his mouth, closed it, opened it. “Uh, well. I’m not sure what it does, biologically? It just makes it so you don’t overheat. Like in deserts and such. I don’t know if it actually lowers your body heat or—“

“Sounds good enough.” His voice took on an apologetic tone. “I know you just cooked everyone dinner, but could you make something with this?”

Wild nodded, and started clicking around in his slate. A small bottle of milk and some rock salt fell out of the slate, along with an unfamiliar herb. “Soup and something chilly. I can do both at once.”

Hyrule gave a warm smile. “Thank you much, Wild.”

Wild nodded and headed off to the cooking pot.

As he left, Legend’s forehead creased, and he turned his head to the side, a pained groan leaving him. Wind and Sky jumped a bit, and the rest leaned a bit closer.

“Legend?” Sky said gently. “Are you with us?”

His eyes fluttered open, unfocused and hazy. He immediately tried to sit up, which Twilight quickly put a stop to.

“Easy,” he said, obviously making an attempt to mimic Sky’s comforting tone. “You’re not doing so hot.”

Legend’s eyes flickered this way and that. “Where ‘m I?” he slurred.

“You’re back at camp. Wild found you and you fainted. Do you remember?” Hyrule explained, hands wringing in his lap.

“Why didn’t you tell us you didn’t feel well?” Twilight asked, voice stern. His arms were crossed tightly.

Legend stared up confusedly at the heroes. He then closed his eyes and wrapped his hand around Hyrule’s wrist, grip unnervingly tight considering his weakness.

“Are you real?” he asked urgently, eyes shut tight.

Hyrule blinked, mouth open for a second, as he looked up and made startled eye contact with Twilight. He looked back down and squeezed Legend’s arm.

“Yes, I’m real,” he answered softly. “If you don’t feel well you can go back to sleep. But Wild’s cooking something for you if you want that.”

Legend’s face screwed up. “No,” he mumbled.

That gave Hyrule an idea. He glanced up. “One of you might want to find a bowl that we don’t need. So far it looks like we’re dealing with all the flu symptoms in the book. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he throws up.”

Warriors raised his hand silently and got to it.

“Legend.” Time stirred from where he was sitting, voice low and soothing. “When did you start feeling off?”

The hero didn’t respond. His face slackened, head tilting back.

“Oh, _Hylia,”_ Wind squeaked.

“Don’t worry, he just fell back asleep,” Sky quickly reassured. His hand had been on Legend’s wrist the whole time.

“We should finish off dinner and wait for him to come to,” Twilight said at length. He had a point; they were all still hungry, and there wasn’t much left to do. As though punctuate the point, Four returned with a soaking wet headband, which he handed to Hyrule. Hyrule laid it gently over Legend’s forehead, then dug in his bag, searching for anything else to use as a compress.

“Not much to do but wait,” he finally sighed, producing a small stack of facecloths. The heroes nodded grimly and went back, barely tasting dinner under their worry.

* * *

It was in the early hours of the morning, and Wild was on watch; both for monsters, but also for his friend.

Every time Wild considered what was happening, his stomach twisted. If this was just some fever from bad water or something, at least they could battle it with healing potions. But this was almost certainly due to that Wizzrobe’s attack earlier, and they had no clue how to combat it. Physical illnesses and wounds were all relatively easily brute-forced by potions, but magic damage was a bit more complicated.

Wild leaned forward and brushed Legend’s hair out of his forehead, wondering not for the first time how the strands got their pink color. He moved to change the now-warm compress when suddenly Legend’s head whipped to the side, face twisting, and then his eyes were wide open and he was turning over onto his side, retching.

“Woah!” Wild fumbled for the bowl Hyrule had recommended having on hand and unceremoniously shoved it in front of Legend’s face, who promptly vomited. Wild winced, forcing down his own revulsion to lean over and rub the hero’s back somewhat awkwardly, nudging the bowl away with his foot. Legend coughed, eyes shut and body shaking. He looked entirely miserable.

“What’s wrong?” Wild looked up, recognizing Time’s voice, and saw him sitting up, staring at them in shock. Wild beckoned him over and the older warrior tiptoed near, kneeling down.

“Should we wake Hyrule?” Wild asked urgently, twisting his hands together. “I-I don’t know what to do.”

“Easy,” Time whispered, helping Legend sit up. “You with us?”

Legend pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning in discomfort. “ _Hurts.”_

“Yeah, I know.” Time’s hand hovered, and eventually rested on Legend’s shoulder. “Are you—“

Legend’s hand went from his face to around Wild’s wrist in an instant. Wild jumped and instinctively tried to pull away, but the grip was iron-tight for someone so faint-looking.

“ _You—“_ Legend rasped, voice shaking. “Are you—is this real?”

Time frowned severely. “He asked that earlier.”

“Everything’s real,” Wild reassured, voice higher than he intended. “I’m, I’m gonna wake up Hyrule, okay?”

“ _No.”_ Legend’s grip tightened further, enough to ache. “Don’t go. Please. I-I can’t.”

“It’s okay,” Time consoled, looking into Legend’s face. “You’re not alone. You’ve got eight other people in here with you.”

Legend’s breathing came heavy and rough as he lowered his head, shaking like a leaf. “I c-can’t, not again. I’m not…” he looked up desperately into Wild’s face, and for a second Wild was hit with a ridiculous, confusing urge to cry, seeing his friend so sick and afraid. “I’m not dreaming. Please. I’m not. This is _real_ , right?”

“E-Everything’s real,” Wild repeated, giving a valiant effort to steady his voice through his worry and confusion. If he were Legend, he would _wish_ he were dreaming, that it was all a nightmare he’d soon wake up from. For Legend to lose his grip on reality…the thought was unnerving, to say the absolute least.

Wild just about fainted in relief when he saw movement over where Hyrule slept, a person-shaped shadow quickly shifting to come close to him.

“What’s happening?” Hyrule asked, voice low and worried.

“He’s delirious,” Time explained. “Night terror, possibly.”

Hyrule clucked in sympathy. “Any of you have water?”

Time jerked his head over to his bag. Hyrule shifted through it until he found a bottle of fresh spring water. He came back and offered it to Legend.

“Here,” he murmured. “Drink this. You’re dehydrated.”

Legend paled, turning his face away. “I can’t. It’ll make me sick.”

“He threw up earlier,” Wild explained.

Legend gave his head a hard shake. “N-No. It’s saltwater. I can’t drink it.”

Hyrule blinked. “It’s…not? It’s from the river. Purified and everything.” He glanced up at Wild, as if to ask _where’d that come from?_ “Here.”

Legend, once again, refused. “Saltwater,” he repeated weakly.

“He’s delirious,” Time said once more, sighing. He’d crossed his arms at some point, one finger tapping an erratic beat on his elbow. “We can’t keep treating this like a regular fever. It’s obviously magic-based.” A worried pause. “It might not even be delirium. He could be experiencing a mental sort of attack.”

The thought made Wild’s heart pound in his throat. “What else can we do, really?”

Hyrule frowned, hand on his chin. “Do you have any sort of library here? Or just…someone who knows a lot about everything? Wizzrobes are common enemies. I’m sure if one can do something like this, it’s documented somewhere.”

Wild blinked. “Most libraries were destroyed in the Calamity. But…” a tiny smile wormed its way across Wild’s face. “As for the latter, I think I have someone in mind.”

* * *

Wild set out that night to go find Princess Zelda. She generally spent her days anywhere but the castle—being trapped there for a hundred years made it feel less than home to her. Last he saw her, she was helping someone set up their garden in Kakariko Village.

He arrived just as dawn started peeking over the mountains. Since it was so early, he knew that she was at least just in one place, likely sleeping. The problem was that she was probably _inside_ a place, and he didn’t really want to knock on civilian doors until one of them happened to be boarding the princess.

“Link!”

Wild startled, turning towards the voice. Dorian lifted a hand, standing at his post outside Impa’s door. Wild waved back.

“What brings you here?”

“I’m looking for Zelda,” he replied, walking closer to keep his voice down. “One of my companions is…ill. I was wondering if she knows where I could get some information on how to help.”

Dorian blinked. “Sick how? I’m sure you don’t need the Princess herself to soothe a simple cold.”

Wild grimaced. “Yeah, you’re right. We’re not really sure what it is. We think a Wizzrobe caused it.”

Dorian scratched the back of his neck. “A magic attack, eh? Can’t say I know much about that.”

“…What about curses?” Wild ventured, his heartbeat picking up. It was a risky thing to ask. They both knew that Dorian was a former Yiga member, and if anyone knew about curses and dark magic, it was them.

Dorian’s razor-sharp gaze focused on Wild. “…Color?”

“Blue.”

Dorian shook his head and sighed. “I only know about red ones.”

Wild deflated. “Okay. Thank you for trying.”

“Wait, though. The Princess is sleeping just inside.” Dorian gestured back up the stairs. “I’m sure she’ll have some idea.”

“Thank you very much.” Wild sketched a small bow, traditional for the Sheikah people, but Dorian always just seemed faintly amused whenever he did it, just giving a wave in return. Wild made his way up the stairs and gently opened the door.

He was familiar with the house’s layout, so he headed straight for the guest room and opened that door as well. There he saw Zelda, fast asleep and bundled under the covers. Her braids and hair-ties were gone, leaving her surrounded by a halo of golden hair. Wild’s heart did something funny as he stared, somehow embarrassed that he was just looking at her. Like he was taking advantage of her vulnerability.

“Z-Zelda!” he stammered, trying to banish the thought. Unfortunately he forgot to control his volume at all and ended up practically shouting her name. She jumped with a startled yelp, head whipping back and forth as she tried to blink sleep out of her eyes. He resisted the urge to smack himself on the forehead, instead coming to her bedside.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” he whispered sheepishly. She blinked up at him, mouth open.

“ _Link?”_ she gasped. “What in the name of Hyrule are you doing here?”

He smiled weakly. “I, uh. Needed to ask a question?”

* * *

“You say it was a Wizzrobe?”

“Yes.”

“And it cursed your friend, somehow?”

“Yes. A blue curse.”

“Blue.” She nodded, pausing her pacing. Wild was sitting on her bed, watching as she did her hair— _I’m already up for the day, might as well,_ she had said—and explaining the situation. His hands fiddled with the sheets, face still flushed.

“Symptoms?” she asked briskly.

Wild straightened. “Everything physical just seems like a fever. But he’s completely delirious. He keeps asking us if everything is ‘real’, he won’t drink water—“

She turned towards him, eyes wide. “Hydrophobic?”

Wild shook his head. “No, at least I don’t think. He just insists that it’s saltwater and that it’ll make him sick if he drinks it.”

Zelda pursed her lips. “How odd.”

There was a beat of silence.

“Link, I’m sorry if I sound rude, but…how would I know?”

Wild froze, staring up at her. “Huh?”

“I haven’t met a monster in a hundred years, except through your eyes,” she explained, staring at her reflection in the mirror. “Much less a Wizzrobe. I recall even you having trouble with them. I feel like if anyone knew what was happening, it would be you.”

The words cut through him, making him look down at the floor. Were the others looking to him for an explanation, as well? This _was_ his Hyrule. The monsters here were _his._ But he really didn’t know what in the world was going on.

“You know a lot about everything,” Wild finally settled on. “I…just don’t know what to do. I thought you might. Legend’s been through enough as it is.”

Zelda turned towards him, eyebrow raised. “Legend?”

“Oh. That’s what we call him. After his title, the Hero of Legend.”

Zelda set down her brush pensively, looking as though she recognized the name. All she said, though, was: “Make no mistake. I’m glad you feel that you can come to me. Really. But…”

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by a noise from his slate. Wild jumped, fumbling with the device to inspect it. He was met by a close-up of Wind’s concerned face.

“ _Hey!_ Can you hear me?” Wind’s voice asked, shrill through the slate’s speakers.

Wild just stared before suddenly remembering that Wind had some sort of necklace that let him communicate with the slate. “Y-Yes, I can hear you. I’m with Zelda right now.”

“Does she know what’s happening? Can she fix it?” he asked worriedly, glancing away from the camera to something behind him.

“Not yet,” Wild said in defeat.

Zelda came to sit down next to him, staring into the slate curiously. “What’s this, Link?”

“Oh!” Wind blinked in surprise and waved. “Hello, Wild’s Zelda! I’m the Hero of Winds!”

“‘ _Wild’s Zelda?’_ ” Wild muttered, as Zelda gave a small wave in return. Wind’s face quickly sobered as he turned to face Wild once more.

“It’s getting worse,” he explained grimly. “I think we’ve figured out the saltwater thing. He thinks he’s in the ocean.”

“…What?” Wild asked stupidly, readjusting the slate in his hands. “How…why?”

“Who knows why! He’s sick and saying all kinds of weird things, and he _still_ won’t drink any water. He hasn’t slept at all, and he won’t believe us when we tell him he’s not dreaming.”

Zelda leaned in. “Dreaming?”

“Oh, I forgot that part,” Wild began. “Along with asking us if everything’s real, he seems really worried that he’s dreaming. He also mentioned not wanting to do this ‘again’, but I feel like if anything like this has happened before, he would have said something.”

A look entered Zelda’s eye. The kind that came when she had just figured something out. “Excuse me, please. I need to go look something up.”

With that, she stood up and left the room.

Wild watched her go, then turned down to the slate. “Anything else?”

“His temperature isn’t getting any lower. We’re trying to get him to take a health potion right now, but he’s fighting it pretty hard.” Wind ran a hand through his hair, biting his lip. “I’m…I’m really worried.”

“I am too.” Wild, not for the first time, felt a pang of sorrow when he saw how _young_ the Hero of Winds was. “He’s tough, though. Maybe the toughest out of all of us. He’ll make it through.”

Wind nodded, looking down. “Okay. I’m gonna see what I can do to help. I’ll see you later?”

“Of course.”

Wind gave him a small smile, then the display faded away.

* * *

After waiting for ten minutes or so, Wild started to wonder how long this “thing” Zelda was looking up would take. He was hesitant to leave the room, since Impa and Paya didn’t even know he was there—he cringed at the thought of giving poor Paya a heart attack. After a while, though, impatience won out, and he pushed the door open, tiptoeing around.

“Ah, there you are. Finally.”

Wild ended up being the one to just about get a heart attack at the sound of Impa’s voice. He whirled around, apologies already on his lips until he saw the twinkle of amusement in her eyes. She raised a hand to stop him before he began.

“Zelda explained. I have told her of a monster expert I know…”

 _Wonder if it’s Kilton,_ Wild thought dryly.

“…but while she was gone, instructed me to tell you a story. Although I can’t fathom why.”

Wild blinked, hesitantly walking into the main living room. “A story?”

“Yes. At dinner, once, I told her many stories of heroes from time immemorial. I told her of the world’s most seasoned warrior…the Hero of Legend.”

He tensed, trying to mask the shock on his face. “Is this the one from ten thousand years ago?”

Impa gave him an odd look. “There’s no need to play dumb.”

“Oh. Uh. I’m guessing Zelda explained, then? About…the Links?”

“Yes.” She said it in a way that made him feel like a particularly stupid child. He flushed.

“Well, that simplifies things. He’s never told us anything about his journeys. Although…will this help with the problem…?”

“Zelda seemed sure it would. Come, sit on the rug.”

Wild obliged, still feeling like a child as he sat down, cross-legged, as if for a bedtime story. Impa eyed him with an unreadable look, then began with a bombshell.

“After the Hero of Time lost to Ganon—“

Wild made some sort of spluttering noise, a cross between a gasp and a cough. “He _what?”_

Impa glared at him. “That is a story for another day.”

“S-Sorry.” Timeline shenanigans. Wild would never fully get it.

“As I was saying. After that, the Sealing War came and went, and so began the Era of Light and Dark. The King of Evil was revived, then defeated, and then once more…a tale as old as time. However, there is a myth that says the Hero of Legend once saved an island…one that exists on no map.”

And so Impa told him the story of Legend; the story of Koholint.

* * *

Time was the leader. Time was the oldest. Time was a lot of things, but he was not a medic, and he was not a master of magic. Nor was he a god—or at least, not anymore. Time was a lot of things, but at times like this, he realized how little he could really _do_.

“ _No,”_ Legend wheezed, eyes shut tight. “Help…somebody, please…”

“I’m right here,” Time murmured for what felt like the twentieth time in as many minutes. Four sat across from him, staring down at Legend in helpless sorrow. “You’re safe, Legend.”

“Get me out of here,” Legend pleaded, turning towards Time and weakly reaching up to grasp his sleeve. “Get me _out of here.”_

Time found that he couldn’t respond. He felt a tightness in his throat, a burning in his eyes. He simply went to change the compress on Legend’s forehead. Finally, he managed: “You’re not on the ocean. You’re in bed.”

They’d found out long ago that such attempts at consoling him were pointless. Legend wasn’t lucid at all, and rarely paid attention to what they told him, except to refuse water. Even then, some strange, foreign instinct made Time doggedly keep trying. If a single word he said helped, even a little, he would say it a thousand times.

“I knew it was gonna storm,” Legend rambled. “I knew my boat couldn’t take it, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I sh-should’ve known…”

“You couldn’t have,” Time said softly.

“He was praying earlier,” Four whispered. “You know, before this…I’ve never heard him say a religious word in my life.”

Time opened his mouth to respond, when Wind suddenly came rushing in.

“ _Guys!”_ he panted. “Wild found a cure!”

Time immediately stood up, barely noticing Four behind him doing the same. He walked straight towards Wind, moving for the necklace.

Wind gave it to him without a word, and Time held it up so he could see the tiny picture of Wild inside.

“I wouldn’t say we’re out of the woods yet,” Wild’s voice said, fuzzy and hard to make out. “But me, Zelda, and Impa put some pieces together, and I think we’re dealing with a very nasty mental curse.”

“Explain,” Time said shortly.

So he did. “First. This isn’t normal. Wizzrobes are capable of inflicting slight mental confusion, but not this. But we’ve been seeing how strong monsters have been getting. We didn’t get a glance at that Wizzrobe’s blood, but I’d bet it’s infected too. If whatever that stuff is can enhance physical strength, I bet it can enhance magical attacks as well.”

Time bit his lip to stop himself from saying something like _get to the damn POINT_ or something similarly acidic. He knew that his fear sounded like anger. “And?” he settled on.

“We need a healing elixir. But the ones we brew aren’t strong enough. We’d need hearty lizards, a beetle, and a bokoblin horn. But…it could take me a day or two to get everything and make—“

“We’ve got seven men here who are willing to help,” Time interrupted. “I’m not letting this go on for another day.”

Wild observed him through the necklace. Time was suddenly distinctly aware of every unleaderlike action he was making—his twitching hands, clipped tone, cold glare. He made an effort to compose himself.

“Got it,” Wild replied softly. “Let the others know. I’ll head off and get the lizards, they’re harder to find. Beetles can be found at the pond near camp. I’m sure you know where to find Bokoblins.”

“Right.” Time nodded. “Return safely.”

Wild gave a little salute, then the necklace went dark.

Time let out a sigh, giving the jewelry back to Wind. Both him and Four were looking up at him with a nervous stare. Time tried not to wince, once again exerting considerable effort on making himself _not_ look like how he felt on the inside—terribly worried and damnably _helpless._

“You alright?” Four asked, voice casual, but gaze unflinching.

Time nodded instinctively. “Yes. Sorry. This is…” he glanced back to Legend, who had curled up on his side, lips moving. “…Stressful.”

“No kidding,” Four replied sadly, following his gaze. “Come on. Let’s see if we can’t find those materials.”

* * *

The parties were quickly split. Wind was left to take care of Legend. Four split into his counterparts and they ran off to find beetles. The other five heroes went out in search of Bokoblins.

Wind worried his lip. He felt bad for staying at camp while the others were doing hard work, but they were all afraid of what Legend may do on his own. He reached for the compress on his forehead, to check if it was still cool, when suddenly Legend mumbled, “Storm port. It’ll be on me in a minute.”

Wind jerked back, heart hammering, before he actually translated the words.

“Storm to the left?” Wind whispered, leaning in.

Legend’s eyes fixed on him, filled with dazed bemusement, before he gave a small nod.

Wind’s heart leapt. That was the first sign of…any kind of response, really, since the last time he turned down water.

“And starboard?” Wind asked, volume rising. “What’s there?”

Legend actually straightened a bit, but his eyes hazed over, as if staring at something far in the distance. His voice became clear, authoritative, as if giving a report. “Better weather. But I’m heading west towards Hyrule.” He raised a weak hand, pointing forwards. “That’s…that’s where the storm is.”

Wind blinked, staring at where he was pointing. Out of curiosity, he took out his compass. “That’s not west. That’s south.”

Legend blinked, mouth slowing its rambling. He squinted. “Not…west?”

Wind paused, but Legend seemed to be waiting for his response.

“No, I checked,” Wind replied, hesitantly.

Legend frowned. He pushed himself up, lurched forward, and placed his hands on his temples, as if warding off a headache.

“Woah,” Wind squeaked, trying to lower him down as he’d seen Time do. “Don’t need to do that.”

“I-I don’t have my compass,” Legend said in a small voice, eyes moving frantically from left to right. “I don’t…I don’t know where I am. I didn’t think this would happen, I-I dropped my compass—“

“You don’t need one,” Wind improvised, holding up his own. What the hell. The numerous attempts at convincing him that he wasn’t on the stupid ocean weren’t working. Maybe he should just play along. “I’m a sailor, remember? I can guide us through it. We’ll be fine.”

Legend stared at the ground. Then he looked up and made eye contact with Wind. Something cleared in his gaze, and he sat up before Wind could stop him, grabbing onto the younger hero’s shoulders.

“ _Wind?”_ Legend breathed.

Wind almost cried in relief, a hopeful smile splitting his face. “Y-Yeah! It’s me! Are you okay?!”

Legend’s face twisted, dropped into a sick horror, pupils becoming pinpricks of black. Wind’s smile faltered as the hands on his shoulders tightened.

“You have to get out of here,” Legend urged, voice as serious as Wind had ever heard it. “Oh, hell, you’re too young for this. You’re going to die out here because of me.”

As Wind looked into his friend’s eyes, he suddenly felt a sickening sense of something not being _there,_ an emptiness that one saw in the eyes of animals. An inexplicable wave of terror splashed over Wind like a bucket of cold water. He instinctively scrambled for the Sheikah necklace, but the only one he could contact was Wild, who was miles away looking for lizards.

Wind was abruptly reminded of the fact that Legend was a lot older and a lot stronger than him.

“N-No I won’t,” Wind replied after a beat, voice trembling. “I-I’m gonna help you through this. I know what I’m doing.”

“ _You don’t fucking get it.”_

Wind flinched as Legend bared his teeth, pupils dilating. “We’re gonna get struck by lightning. We’re gonna be trapped here, in the ocean, for _days.”_

“How do you know that if it hasn’t already happened?!” Wind shouted.

Legend paused.

“It has,” he said, but his intonation rose at the end, as if he was asking a question.

“No it hasn’t,” Wind said hotly. “You’re _hallucinating,_ Legend! None of this is even _real!”_

Oh.

Wrong thing to say.

Very, very wrong thing to say, Wind realized with horror, as he remembered the first night, how many times Legend had requested a reality check, how many times he questioned whether or not he was dreaming.

“No, wait,” Wind tried to backtrack. But Legend was smiling, a cornered smile, the kind one gave when they were surrounded with enemies and their last thought was _at least I’ll go down fighting._

“I knew it,” he laughed weakly. “I knew it. I knew it all along.”

There was a flash of pain, and next thing he knew, Wind was lying on his back, staring up at the sky. It took him a second to realize that he had been struck, and even then his mind couldn’t quite reconcile _pain, attacked_ with _Legend, a friend._ And then the sun was blocked out, because Legend was standing above him, legs shaking with exhaustion but eyes shining with something unknown, something dangerous.

“Legend,” Wind whimpered, backing up. “I didn’t mean it. You’re not dreaming right now, everything’s real—”

 _“This_ is what happens when you get attached!” Legend roared. “This is my punishment, _isn’t_ it, Hylia?!” His hand raised to strike—Wind flinched and closed his eyes—

“ _Stop!”_

Wind froze as another figure tackled Legend back down onto the bed. It was Time, face twisted in protective rage. Wind scuttled backwards, heart hammering against his ribs.

“What the _hell_ do you think you’re doing?!” Time snarled, holding Legend down. Legend fought like mad, twisting and scratching Time’s armored hand like a rabid creature.

“ _Let GO of me!”_ Legend screamed, his flailing weakening under his sickness. “Let go! Let me _go!”_

And then it came: the most horrifying thing Wind had seen that day, something that he would never imagine happening in a million years: Legend began to cry. Scalding, enraged tears, but tears nonetheless poured down his face.

“I _knew_ it,” he sobbed, his fighting dying down to weak slaps. “I _knew_ it…”

His head lolled backwards, and his harsh breathing suddenly weakened.

“Passed out,” Time said roughly. He let go, then turned to Wind, his single-eyed gaze cold as ice. “What did you do to make him react like that?”

Wind flinched, whole body shaking. “I…I didn’t…”

And he was so afraid, so terrified and confused and mad at himself for causing all this that he really couldn’t help it when he started crying too.

“Wind…”

Wind startled as he was suddenly wrapped in an embrace, and he realized that Time was shaking as well.

“I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’m sorry. I know I sound angry when I’m—“ he paused on the word, then said tightly, “afraid.”

If there was anything Wind hated about being with the other Links, it was being treated like the baby of the group, the one who had to be protected. But in this moment, Wind gave in and clutched Time like a child would, and focused his energy on not crying _too_ loudly.

“Why a-are you here?” Wind finally managed to ask between his tears.

“It didn’t sit right with me that we left you alone with a delirious, hallucinating man who is very skilled in combat,” Time murmured, hand twitching at the back of Wind’s head. “I thought the worst.” He blew out a breath. “I’m upset to see that I was right.”

“I’m sorry,” Wind whispered, lest his voice break.

Time shook his head. “No,” he immediately replied, voice firm. “I’m absolutely sure you didn’t do anything to cause it on purpose. I’m sorry.” He pulled away for a minute, hand brushing the bruise forming at Wind’s temple. “Did he hit you?”

“Not…really. Just shoved me back a bit.”

Time nodded, then resumed the hug. Wind didn’t object.

The other heroes returned with more than one Bokoblin horn—they luckily found a pack of non-infected ones, and sure enough four heroes turned out to be plenty to dispatch them. More importantly, they returned to the sight of Time, looking more tense than they had ever seen him, comforting Wind, whose eyes were red and puffy.

Sky came first, kneeling in front of Wind. “You alright?” he asked in surprise. Warriors, Twilight, and Hyrule were close behind.

Wind bit his lip. “ _I’m_ fine,” he mumbled, then summarized what happened while they were gone.

“By the goddess,” Warriors breathed, and Twilight put a hand to his forehead.

“I can’t believe I was against you going back, old man,” Twilight said, sounding dazed. “I’m…I’m sorry.”

Time held up a hand. “We can’t see the future.”

Four returned later, beetle in hand, and received the debrief as well. They spent the afternoon sitting around Legend in quiet horror. Occasionally, a pitiful look was sent Wind’s way, who looked too shell-shocked to be offended.

Sky was the one to notice the rustling outside of camp. He stood up, and soon Wild was stumbling into their circle, lizards in hand, tunic stained with dirt.

“I’m back,” he panted.

Hyrule stood up. “With me,” he said tersely. “We need to brew this potion _yesterday.”_

* * *

The potion was brewed, and though most would not admit it, every hero prayed as it was being made, hoping that somehow the goddesses’ magic would find its way into the bottle.

“What if he doesn’t drink it?” Wind fretted as Wild carried the elixir over to Legend’s bed. “He hasn’t drank a thing since he fainted.”

“Don’t worry,” Wild reassured, and kneeled in front of Legend. He leaned over and shook the sleeping hero’s shoulder. “Hey. Link. Wake up.”

Wind turned to Wild in surprise at the use of their true name, but then Legend was blinking awake, head turning from side to side.

“Marin,” he mumbled.

“Nope,” Wild said steadily. “You’re not on Koholint.”

The other heroes shared a silent look of confusion, but Legend just pushed himself upwards, staring at Wild intensely, as if in shock.

“You are in a Hyrule different from yours,” Wild continued, “and you are very ill. There is no winged whale to wake up and Marin isn’t here. _You already did that._ It never has to happen again.” Wild held up the potion. “But I know that, to you, it feels like it’s been happening over and over again. You _are_ trapped in a dream, in a way. This potion will wake you up.”

Legend looked around. “Wake up?” he mumbled.

“You’ll wake up from the bad parts.” Wild placed the bottle in his hands. “But the part with us? With me, Sky, Wind, Time, and the others? That’s _real._ Drinking this won’t change that. It’s not saltwater, either. Got it?”

Legend stared at him. Then he turned and hesitantly raised the bottle to his lips. Lowered it.

“This will…make it stop?” he whispered, voice wavering.

Wild nodded. “You won’t be at sea anymore. You’ll be rescued. Do you remember that part?”

Legend’s brow furrowed.

The other heroes had long stopped wondering what the hell was going on and had begun rooting for it to just _work._ To their immense relief, Legend opened the bottle and hesitantly sipped its contents until they were gone.

His face wrinkled.

“Tastes like shit,” he said matter-of-factly, then passed out again.

* * *

“Hey, buddy. Welcome to reality.”

Legend groaned. He felt like he’d been hit by a charging Moblin. His head pounded, his mouth was full of cotton, and his body pulsed with a dull ache. Groggily, he attempted to open his eyes, and hissed as the light pierced his eyes like javelins.

“Son of a _bitch,”_ he mumbled.

“Careful. There’s kids here.”

Legend threw an arm over his eyes. “Dear _Goddess…_ how much did I have to drink…?”

There was a burst of uproarious laughter that felt like hammers on his skull.

“He’s himself, all right.” That was Warriors’ voice, tinged with something that sounded like relief.

“You’ve had _nothing_ to drink, actually.” That was Time, voice dry. “That would explain what is likely a very terrible headache for you.”

“Well, you _did_ drink a blend of bugs, lizards, and monster parts a few hours ago.” Wind. His voice was bubbly and sounded like restrained laughter. But why did they all sound so _relieved?_ Like he’d come from the damn dead or something.

Wait.

What had Wind said?

Legend’s eyes flew open. “Fuckin’ _bugs?”_ And then immediately groaned again as the burning light invaded his skull. Then he tried again, slowly making out the blurry, smiling faces of the whole group.

“We were very worried for a second there.” Sky’s blessedly soft voice chimed in. Legend caught Four nodding seriously.

“Do you want some water?” Legend turned to see Wild asking the question.

“I would kill for some water, actually,” Legend muttered, voice rough. Wild smiled far too widely, and someone actually sighed in relief. Legend looked around, confused. “What’s going on? What happened? Did I get hit in the head or something?”

Twilight kneeled in front of him. “Can you tell us the last thing you remember?”

Legend opened his mouth, then closed it. When he tried to think back—

_Water, salty and disgusting, bitingly cold, splinters under his nails, the days passing with his slipping grasp on reality, hallucinating ships coming to save him, disappointment, fear, absolutely paralyzing human terror that sliced at his soul until he realized he’d never ever be the same ever again—_

“Stay with us, buddy.” Legend flinched at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. Hyrule.

“Sorry,” he got out, disturbed. “I just remembered that I had a… _really_ nasty dream while I was out.”

Time and Wind exchanged looks he couldn’t analyze.

And then it came back to him in a rush. The Wizzrobe’s attack. The sense of unease he’d felt as he walked back to camp. The sudden flashbacks that left him shaking, followed by flu symptoms, what it felt like to have reality slip out of his grasp…

“Did I faint?” he asked, worry creeping into his tone. “Wild came to get me…and I…”

Then it became harder to parse. He had fainted, but then…no, that couldn’t be right. There wasn’t an ocean nearby. Did he dream…Oh.

Oh Goddess.

“Please tell me that I fainted in front of Wild and now I’m waking up and that’s all that happened,” Legend said faintly, unable to accept the memories coming in. Screaming like a madman. Fighting against his friends, then clutching to them like a lost child. He cried in front of _Time,_ of all people. And…horror filled him as he remembered attacking _Wind_ , like some kind of monster. He almost hurled at the memory of Wind looking up at him with terror in his young eyes. “Please don’t tell me I did what I’m thinking I did.”

Their sad faces that couldn’t quite make eye contact told him all he needed to know. Immediately, he turned to Wind, and sat up just so he could bow his head as low as he could.

“I am,” he tried to swallow, but his throat was too dry. “So... _so_ sorry.”

There was a pause. Legend couldn’t look up.

“You were hit by a mental attack that, uh, to use Zelda’s words…” Legend looked up to see Wild speaking, looking down at his hands. “ _Tears at the scars of your heart._ A hallucinogenic curse that makes you relive your worst memories. Over and over.”

An unbearable shame rose in his chest. He wanted to get up and run away and never speak to them again. He wanted to pull out his Fire Rod and set himself ablaze, maybe. Literally _anything_ rather than have to respond to _that._ And he remembered every second of it, trapped in that godawful, horrific ocean, trapped on that island, over and _over,_ knowing what would happen, doomed to repeat it.

Wild quietly handed him a bottle of water. Legend drank it, if only to have time to steady himself.

“Are you okay?” Wind asked.

“You’re asking _me?”_ Legend spluttered before he could stop himself.

Wind blinked. “Yeah? I’m not the one who had to battle an evil mind-control spell for almost two days.”

Legend stared at him. “But I…I…”

“That wasn’t _you,”_ Wind answered, tone brooking no argument. “That may as well have been the Wizzrobe. That’s how I see it.”

“A-And…” Legend turned to face the group. “I was…I was acting insane. Like a little _kid._ I can’t believe this.” He put his face in his hands. He’d never felt more utterly ashamed in his whole life. He’d rather get hit with a spell that made him turn around and moon the whole group if it meant undoing what he’d done.

Well. Maybe not mooning Wind. He’d probably feel just as embarrassed about that.

“What are you so ashamed of?” Time asked, sounding genuinely curious. “Do you really expect us to hold getting attacked against you? Would you hold it over Wind’s head? Mine?”

“Of course not,” he answered, seeing the trap and falling into it anyway. “But it’s still…” he imagines what it would be like, as someone Wind’s age, to see an older, seasoned individual to just crumble like he did. He remembers what it was like to watch his uncle die in front of him, then be brought back. It hadn’t been the same. How could his team ever rely on him again? How could things go back to the way they were, where he acted like his adventures never bothered him, where he was this seasoned veteran who could take the world on? His throat thickened as he tried to swallow his pride.

“I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” he managed, unable to make eye contact with any of them.

“Legend.” Time’s voice was quiet, as if the words were meant only for him. “We _all_ have memories like that. There is no shame to be had here, alright? You were _cursed._ Only a coward would hold that against you.”

Legend flinched. It was as if the old man had read his mind. “Even you?” he mumbled, even quieter.

Time nodded. “Even me. And I know what it’s like to have it on loop. Constantly.” His gaze hazed over a bit, as if remembering something. “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

Legend looked up at him, startled. It was incredibly rare that Time ever divulged anything from his journeys, let alone something as serious as that.

Then he suddenly remembered another thing.

“You,” Legend spluttered, whirling around to face Wild. “How did—where did you hear about—“

“Koholint?” Wild raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell anyone else. Your story to tell. But I had to learn about it, to help you.” Wild dipped his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Who could have possibly told you?” Legend said suspiciously. “I mean…you know…it wasn’t.” He fiddled with his hands. “It wasn’t _real.”_

“Impa knows plenty of stories and legends,” Wild explained. “And I’m sure it was real enough, for her to know.”

Legend looked down, unsure how to respond, but feeling a sort of warmth at the thought.

_Real enough, huh._

“Anyway…” Wild glanced back towards where the cooking pot was. “You passed out around dinner time yesterday and haven’t eaten since. I’d bet you’re starving. Want to join us for dinner this time around?”

Legend’s stomach growled, and the group shared a laugh at his expense. He smiled, pushing himself off the ground. “Hell yeah.”

* * *

Legend awoke that night with a choked gasp scraping out from his throat. His heart pounded against his chest as he struggled to blink away the last vestiges of his nightmare—his ship, rocking under him, the deafening thunder, the last cursed flash of lightning before he was submerged and _cold,_ the hateful taste of the ocean—

 _That’s over,_ he thought, forcing himself to take a deep breath in through his nose. _Never have to do it again._ He ran his tongue over his lips, trying to clear out the phantom taste of saltwater.The ground still felt like it was undulating beneath him.

A sudden wave of nausea made him force himself to his feet, heading out to get some fresh air. Feeling the earth as he walked, solid and unmoving, helped.

Wild was on watch tonight. Legend saw the moonlight catch on his blue eyes, which watched unwaveringly as Legend came to sit next to him.

“Heard you saying stuff in your sleep,” Wild said, casual as could be. “Nightmare?”

Legend made a face. He hated calling it that, like he was some cowardly little kid…although there really wasn’t another word for it, was there. “I guess.”

“Next time it happens, want me to wake you up?”

“There shouldn’t be a next time,” Legend growled before he could help himself. Then he swallowed, forcing himself to be realistic. “But…if there is…that’d be nice. If you want. Doesn’t matter to me.”

Wild gave him a knowing sort of look. “Was it about the island?”

“No,” Legend bit back, once again not thinking before he spoke. It wasn’t actually any of Wild’s business. But the fact that Wild actually _knew_ about the island now, when nobody else did…it made it embarrassingly easy to spill. “I dreamed about the crash. On my boat. When I was hit by lightning.”

Wild winced. “Sounds shitty.”

Legend barked out a laugh. “Barely begins to describe it.”

Another shudder coursed through him. He dug his fingers into his arms, trying to drag himself back to the present by force.

“I have ‘em all the time,” Wild stated easily, like he was referring to parties or snacks.

Legend blinked. “I never knew.”

“Really? Good to hear. I used to wake up screaming.” Wild picked up a stick and began to methodically shred the bark off its surface. “Now that it’s all over, they’ve gotten better. But, you know. Scars like this—“ he tapped the burnt, too-red side of his face. “—tend to leave memories. You can’t blame your brain for taking them and running.”

Legend once again failed to possess any sort of filter. “But I _do,”_ he hissed. “This shit shouldn’t be happening. I don’t get nightmares, or flashbacks, or any of that. Not since my first adventure, anyway. And it’s been so long, too.” He fiddled with his tunic. Wasn’t he supposed to have the Triforce of Courage? What kind of beacon of bravery woke up shaking at night at the thought of a thunderstorm? “It’s like sliding back down to step one.”

There was a heavy silence, the peeling of bark the only sound. Wild turned the stick over and over in his hands.

“I’m gonna get sentimental for a second,” Wild announced.

Legend groaned. “Oh, spare me.”

Wild ignored him. “My f…friend Mipha had healing magic. She once told me that recovery isn’t a straight line. She said sometimes there will be bad days, and sometimes there will be good days. Just ‘cause there’s a good day doesn’t mean every day after has to be even better.” The stick turned once. “Sometimes your day’s just shit for no reason. And here’s where I get sentimental.”

“You haven’t already?”

“Legend, if you get any of that—if you wake up screaming, or freeze up during storms, or even refuse to step foot in the ocean ever again—well, I speak for myself, but I’d bet all my rupees that the guys back there would agree with me: we’ve got your back. Always. We all have baggage and things that make us freak out. Even me. Even Time—he told you so just a few hours ago, right? So if I catch you feeling ashamed, ever, about any of this, I’m smacking you upside the head.” Wild finally looked up at him. “Got it?”

Legend’s mouth was open. He immediately closed it upon Wild’s eye contact, but his whole face felt dangerously flushed. He didn’t really have a snarky response to that.

“Thanks,” he said stupidly. He looked down, rubbing the back of his head. “Uh…how about I take the rest of watch? I skipped my shift during the night I was hallucinating an entire ocean. You ought to get some sleep.”

Wild raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”

Legend shrugged. “I’m not going back to sleep. Might as well.”

Wild rested a hand on Legend’s shoulder, giving him an odd smile. Then he turned and went back inside.

Legend turned back to face the starry night sky, arms crossed and a warm feeling in his heart taking place of the earlier terror.

He smiled ruefully. He must be getting soft; he was supposed to be on watch, protecting the others, and yet…

_We’ve got your back._

He was the one who felt safe.


End file.
